Where Bitching is Best

Post navigation

truth be told

Fellow liberals, it’s time to tell the truth. Let’s let go of a lie we’ve held dear too long that hasn’t been true for some time now.

We have always said we are the people of inclusion.

Let’s own up to the fact that we may no longer fly this banner, because it is a lie.

We had a golden opportunity to extend an olive branch, and include moderates and open-minded righties as we profess to do. But instead of being gracious hosts in the land of inclusion and acceptance, we turned the tables. Like the bullies hazing freshmen that we hate so much, we took it upon ourselves to punish the right by bullying them in return.

Instead of being the level headed ones, we abandoned any form of respectful, open dialogue. We antagonized and ridiculed their values and beliefs – their very identities. We attempted to make a coup on the moral high ground, and in the ensuing chaos we lost it before we could plant our flag there.

We could have been the ones to usher in a new era of cooperation and common benefit. But we wasted our chance on getting back at those we feel had heaped so much pain on us first.

As if retaliation ever fostered anything but more of itself.

When we got to barking so loud and insistent, they turned the other way.
We alienated them, why would they want to come back out and play?

Somehow we managed to forget that what we wanted was for them to join us in the struggle to help humanity as a whole.

Without that feeling of shared destiny, they have no reason to join us. Without feeling like part of us, they have made us into Them.

The moment we became Them they could no longer hear us.

We could be petulant, petty sore losers. Or we could see the truth. Just as we feel excluded and rejected, so do they.

The sooner we can find it in ourselves to step beyond our roles and self-imposed demarcations, the sooner we can move forward with finding some middle ground to walk on. And if we’re not looking for middle ground, then there’s really no reason to call ourselves the ones on the side of inclusion.

Live the truth, let go of the lies, and recognize that honor lies in compromise.